My Belladonna
by Zari Fey
Summary: With all the assassins and poisonings in Rome, someone has to provide the necessary tools. Caterina Adimari just happens to be the best apothocary in town, and is known for her quality and silence. But when she meets a certain Spanish assassin in 1492...
1. Chapter 1

**A foray into the world of **_**The Borgias**_**, by far my favorite show on Showtime. The title is a bit of a play on words, belladonna both meaning beautiful woman and being the actual name for deadly nightshade. Please read and enjoy. Reviewers will get to play with Illeso.**

Niccolo Adimari did his daughter no favors by dying in 1486.

At the age of fourteen, Caterina found herself unwed, without a father, and the sole benefactor of her father's will. Before his death, she and her father had run a modest but respectable apothecary. Now that her father was gone, she found that formerly trusting clients were less willing to buy from her. An unwed woman, running an apothecary by herself? It was hard for most people to believe that she could be very skilled in her profession.

But Caterina was skilled, and had always known more about herbs and plants than her father. It was why he had not tried to marry her off. Niccolo had needed his daughter to help him run the business. Unfortunately, when he died, most of that business went away.

Caterina did not wish to sell the shop, and had a strong suspicion that if she married she would end up feeding her husband amanita and nightshade at some point. The men who courted her were the sort her father had warned her to stay away from: they cared very much for her flesh but very little for her heart.

So she took business wherever she could, and expanded her wares into territory her father had always been loath to try. She grew amanita and nightshade, hemlock and wolfsbane, angel trumpet and hyacinth. These she grew separate from her other wares, simple herbs like basil and rosemary, and away from the flowers she used in her products, away from the roses and poppies. She advertised by word of mouth, and through back alleys and Rome's endless side-streets. She advertised the quality and effectiveness of her products, her unwavering discretion and silence, and soon every assassin in Italy knew that the best product for poisoning came from Caterina Adimari, and her small apothecary in Rome.

Still, business was always a day-to-day endeavor, and there were months when she wondered how she was going to pay her bills. Selling to assassins helped. They were, for the most part, willing to pay higher prices for the excellent quality of product that she provided. And it served as good evidence of the quality of her product and her use to the community that so far none of her clients had tried to kill her.

And, in truth, almost every plant she grew did have a medicinal or commonplace value, even those with more sinister purposes. The women of Rome, for example, flocked to the nearest apothecary for a solution of belladonna to dilate their pupils of all things. Caterina did quite a lot of business selling her nightshade, her lovely belladonna, to clients of all sorts. But she did not partake in the fashion of dilated pupils. After seeing what her beautiful belladonna had done to the rat in her shop when she had laced a piece of cheese with it was more than enough to persuade her that putting drops of nightshade in her eyes could not be advisable.

And her pupils were dilated enough, _grazie_.

On that particular day, shortly after the election of His Holiness Alexander Sextus in 1492, Caterina was just finishing up a last bit of business in her shop, which was situated just below her home. Her father had been lucky to find this bit of property in Rome, and Caterina had done her best to maintain hold of it since his death. It had good light, an essential for growing her wares, and it was close enough to the nearest well that watering her plants was easy and convenient.

She tended to her plants at the beginning and end of each day, giving them water and checking them for bugs or parasites. She worked wearing thin gloves, not for vanity, but simply because some of her wares were deadly enough that even touching them could prove harmful. Her wolfsbane and amanita were particularly potent, as was her precious belladonna. She had personally tested her wares on the local rats and stray dogs, and was more than pleased to advertise their efficacy.

She also walked to the cage in the back of the shop to feed her rabbit. She slipped some of the leaves she had just pruned from the belladonna into the cage. The rabbit looked up at her with his big brown eyes. "I have a special treat for you today, Illeso," Caterina chimed, "it's your favorite food."

In testing her wares, Caterina had learned a few years ago that, oddly enough, rabbits were immune to belladonna. She couldn't help but respect an animal that could withstand one of the deadliest poisons in her shop. So she had decided to keep the particular rabbit as a pet, a spotted male that she had named Illeso, unharmed.

Illeso started munching on the leaves. Caterina poked a finger through the cage. "Does that taste good, Illeso?" she hummed and smiled. She loved that rabbit. Tough as armor, that one.

She heard the bell on her door ring and straightened up. It was late for customers, but, then again, some of her less savory clientele had come to her in the middle of the night before.

"_Buonasera_," Caterina called as she walked back to the front room of her shop. "What may I do for you today, sir?"

The man standing in her shop was tall, with broad shoulders. He wore both a sword and a dagger on his belt, and his brown eyes could have pierced a hole in her floor. His red-brown hair was short, cropped nearly as close to his head as his beard. He looked as though he had not shaved for a few days, and his clothes could stand to be washed. But he didn't smell, and that was a relief to Caterina, who had a very sensitive nose. His voice was rough, almost a growl, but somehow unthreatening. "I'm looking for a potion," he said.

Caterina smiled. "And what type of potion do you seek, sir? You will have to be a bit more specific. What exactly do you want?"

"Eternal life."

Caterina paused. She knew the language of assassins well. "What you seek is rather expensive," she said, "and, forgive me, but I must ask in what way you wish to achieve this."

"Subtlety is not required for tonight." He was looking directly at her now. "And, your terms are of no issue."

Caterina nodded. This man was a professional. And his eyes were really something. "If you will give me one moment, sir."

Caterina walked to the back room of the shop and began looking through her poisons. This man was a new customer, and she knew that he was the sort she would want repeat business from. He didn't ask too many questions. He stated what he wanted, and was willing to pay a high price for her quality. For this man, nothing but the best would suffice.

She settled on a small vial of a coarse, white powder sealed with wax, and, taking it carefully in her hands, returned to the front of the shop.

"I believe that this will give you the desired effect," she said to the man. "It is completely tasteless and will leave no trace in wine." She handed over the vial. "But you will need to finish grinding it right before it is served. Refine it any sooner and it will lose its potency." The man pocketed the vial carefully, and handed over a small purse. "I assume this will serve for payment," he said.

Caterina emptied the purse onto a nearby table, and had to suppress a gasp when she saw the volume of gold inside. "Yes, this will do very nicely," she said. Then she turned around and smiled. "I do hope that you are satisfied with your product. And I hope that you will return to this shop for all your future needs."

The man nodded curtly. "Farewell," he said, and left.

Once he was gone, Caterina sighed and collected up the coins. Such customers as that man were hard to come by. She knew to never ask questions of the assassins that she served, and yet she did find herself wishing she at least knew his name. She walked to the back of the store to make another vial of what she had just sold. It was a mixture of amanita and belladonna, with some rose hips blended in to disguise the taste. She had a long night ahead of her. She turned back to her rabbit. "And what did you think of that man, Illeso?" she cooed, "Do you hope we see him again too?" Illeso only munched on his nightshade. Caterina giggled. "Well, I hope we see him again." Humming to herself, she walked to the front of her shop and locked up for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Please read and enjoy. Reviewers will receive a custom perfume made especially for them by Caterina Adimari.**

It was a number of days before Caterina so much as heard of the man again.

One legitimate business that Caterina did very well in was selling love potions and perfumes to the women who worked in the palaces of cardinals and lords. Apparently the clergy were not as celibate as they let on, and their servants were more than willing to indulge the clerics' fantasies for favors or coin. One of her better clients was a woman named Maria who worked in the palace of Cardinal Della Rovere. She had never "served" the cardinal in that way, but she did occasionally sleep with her fellow servants.

On this day, Maria had come to Caterina's shop to request her usual order: a perfume guaranteed to attract a specific man. As usual, Caterina listened intently and gossiped with Maria about the object of her desire. It wasn't just for the sake of chatter; the more Caterina knew about the man the more accurately she could create a perfume to attract him.

Maria was enamored. "He's got these eyes, you know? And the way he looked at me..."

"Don't tell me, he was already bedding you in his mind?" Caterina shook her head. Such men were all too common in Rome.

Maria shook her head. "No, that's what intrigued me. He wasn't undressing me. He was…he was _studying_ me. Like I was something he had never seen before."

Caterina paused. That was odd indeed. And oddly familiar. Maria continued. "His eyes were piercing, you know? But unexpectedly so. I honestly believed that his eyes could have driven a hole through the bed I was making."

"Did he wear a sword?" Caterina asked, "And a dagger just beside?"

"Yes, he did," Maria giggled. "Rather dashing, I thought. How did you know?"

"And his hair is short, and red?" It was out of character for Caterina to ask these questions, but if she was correct..."A bit rough around the edges? In need of a shave? Kind of growls when he speaks?"

"Yes, exactly! He was so wonderfully rugged!" Maria smiled and laughed. "But how do you know this? Have you met him before?"

Caterina smiled and shook her head. She was very good at hiding her intentions. "I know the type, that's all," she said. So this man was working for Della Rovere. That was both surprising and a real shame. The good cardinal had never been one of her clients. "So tell me, Maria, what is the name of this extraordinary man?"

"Michelotto Corella," Maria savored the syllables as if she was eating a succulent peach. "Isn't that a wonderful name?"

"It is. Spanish, I think." Michelotto, it was? A Spanish assassin working in the palace of Cardinal Della Rovere. There had to be more to the story than this. Caterina stood up. "I think I have just the brew to bring him to you. Just come back to me tomorrow morning and it will be complete." She smiled at Maria. "I'll make this perfume especially for you, Maria, and specifically to attract this man."

Maria stood up and kissed Caterina on the cheek. "You always make the most wonderful perfumes, Caterina," she said, "They've never failed me."

"And they never will." Caterina smiled and waved goodbye to Maria as she left. Then she shook her head and resumed her work. Michelotto Corella, the rugged Spanish assassin. Caterina smiled and hummed to herself.

She looked around her shop and gathered the necessary herbs.

For the most part, Caterina made her perfumes to order, creating a specific scent for each client. Such individual attention was part of how she maintained a legitimate business. She had gained a reputation for selling only the best, and she was determined to maintain that reputation.

Half of making a perfume to attract the opposite sex was to make the client feel confident and beautiful. After all, if a woman felt beautiful, she was more confident in her actions and was more likely to make an impression on the object of her desire. When making perfumes for Maria, Caterina always started with a base of peach blossoms. She simmered a full cup of them in water first, stirring them until the water took on their color. She then removed the delicate flowers from the water and placed them in a stone pestle. She took her mortar and began crushing the wet blossoms, pressing the fragrant juices from the petals. She took these juices and poured them into a small glass bowl beside her, removing the crushed petals to a separate space on her work table. She would not throw these away just yet. After all, she would have use for them later.

Next she brought another bowl of water to a high simmer and added one cup of lavender and violet petals. The combination of lavender and violet was particularly potent in attracting love, and also provided a calming note for the perfume. Too strong a scent would turn a man away. Too mild a scent and the man would not notice. She simmered and crushed the flowers, straining the juices into their own glass bowl, and then placed the crushed flowers in the water previously used to simmer the peach blossoms. She added the crushed peach blossoms to the gently bubbling liquid, and allowed the crushed flowers to simmer.

Finally, as a special addition to attract Michelotto, she simmered and crushed the petals of a cup of vibrant red carnations. Carnations were, Caterina knew, one of the most popular flowers in Spain, and she believed that a smell of home was always effective to attract a man. She added the crushed flowers to the same water as the peach blossoms, lavenders, and violets, and poured the most fragrant liquids from crushing the petals into a small bowl.

Then, she selected a small glass bottle with a beautiful glass stopper for the final product, and went to feed her rabbit.

Early the next morning, she strained the flower petals from the water, which she had allowed to cool overnight. She then portioned out the ingredients. She began by using the water as a base. She added it in methodical drops to a small portion of the peach blossom juices, diluting the fragrant liquid until it was a suitably subtle base. She then added drops of the juices of the violet and lavender to the solution, and added more of the fragrant water to the mixture to round out the scent. The last ingredient she added was a touch of the carnation's juices, which she added undiluted to the mixture, like spices to a fine meal.

Finally, she carefully poured the mixture into the selected bottle, and carefully wrapped the entire package in cloth. She placed the cloth in the back room of her shop, and opened her doors for the day.

Soon enough, Maria entered the shop. Before she could open her mouth Caterina smiled. "It's ready," she said. Maria squealed with excitement. "Let me smell it!"

Caterina walked to the back room and retrieved the perfume. She brought it carefully to the front room. "The bottle is delicate, so be careful carrying it back to the palace." She set the bottle on the table and opened the stopper. Maria leaned down and took a deep breath. Caterina smiled. She was particularly proud of this perfume. It had turned out even better than she had expected.

Maria leaned over and kissed Caterina on the cheek. "It's perfect!" She smiled and brought out a few gold coins. "Here's the payment I promised." Caterina nodded and took the gold coins. "Good luck tonight, Maria," she said.

"Thank you, Caterina. I know I can always rely on you."

The two kissed once more on the cheek, and Maria left the shop. Caterina went back to the bowl of perfume she had created, and bottled the rest as she had the batch for Maria.

She made her perfumes to order, but there was no reason she couldn't keep a particularly nice scent to sell to others who liked it. Or for herself, for that matter.

Caterina hummed and smiled to herself. And maybe she would see that assassin again.

Not that she was interested in him as anything more than a client.


	3. Chapter 3

**Please read and enjoy. Reviewers will receive a tour of Valencia, guided by none other than our favorite Spanish assassin.**

Michelotto did notice the carnations.

Both in bedding and in slitting the throat of the serving girl, he had been struck with the sudden scent of carnations and with the knife-sharp memory of his former home in Valencia – the frescos in the church of Saint John, the heavy smells of the vineyards, the buildings left over from when the Roman emperors ruled.

After covering the body, Michelotto waited for Della Rovere. He had to be sure that Della Rovere was the first to discover the bloody scene, to make sure he received Cesare Borgia's message.

But the scent continued to stay with him as he waited, as Della Rovere ran away and shouted for help, as he returned to report his progress to Cesare.

He had mentioned it briefly to the girl. She had giggled and batted her eyes. "Oh, you noticed?" she said, "Isn't it wonderful? There's this great little apothecary that I go to, a good friend of mine runs it, Caterina Adimari."

And, to keep her from chattering any further, he had stopped her mouth with a kiss.

Leaving to prowl the streets for the night, listening for any news of the whereabouts or destination of the good fugitive cardinal, Michelotto reflected. It was Adimari who had provided him with that excellent powder for the good Cardinal Orsini's banquet. A female apothecary was an unusual thing. And Caterina Adimari was well known in the underworld as the maker of the best poisons in Italy. He supposed it couldn't be too surprising that her perfumes were of the same quality.

The scars on his back began to ache. Michelotto grimaced. Maybe he ought to stop by that shop and see what she had to dull pain. Not that the pain was really an issue, but it could not hurt to feel at his best when searching for information.

And, changing his course, he began to walk across the city.

* * *

><p>Caterina Adimari, as she was accustomed, woke with the dawn.<p>

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and walked to the small mirror on the table in her room. She combed through her long, tangled curls of her dark brown hair with her fingers. She braided the curls and tied them behind her neck with a green ribbon. The fabric was coarse, but did a good job of keeping the curls off her face. She took the maidenhair flowers out of the water basin on her desk and washed her face with the water. Maidenhair promoted beauty, and while Caterina liked to think she wasn't vain, she knew that it was important for her to look her best as the owner of a business.

She slipped a clean linen chemise over her head followed by a soft kirtle with embroidered sleeves. She wore a burgundy gown over her undergarments with slashed sleeves and shoulders, allowing puffed folds of her chemise to show through. Caterina fed Illeso and cleaned his cage, and then ate her own breakfast before tending to her plants. She carefully pulled her thin linen gloves over her hands and began to inspect her plants. She started with the basic herbs, the basil, dill, rosemary, parsley, thyme; continued with her flowers, roses, daffodils, daisies, pansies, carnations, violets; and finished with her poisons, her belladonna, hyacinth, wolfsbane, foxglove. She checked her amanita last, holding a handkerchief over her mouth with one hand while she inspected the mushrooms with the other. She couldn't be too careful working with amanita: her plants were so viciously potent that she had to make sure she did not inhale any of its spores.

Then she returned to her room, applied a touch of a very special perfume she had crafted to smell like a perfect autumn day to her wrists and the nape of her neck, and stepped into the Roman day.

Once a week she would shop for the things she needed. She was almost always in need of glass vials and bottles, new bowls and mortars, and she always checked with the farmers to see if they had any interesting plants for her. She always did her shopping early in the morning so that she could open up her shop by noon. Today as she was shopping, however, she saw some of the servants from Cardinal Della Rovere's palace. It was unusual to see so many of them out of the palace at the same time, so Caterina walked over to them to see what was happening.

"_Buongiorno_," Caterina smiled as she greeted the girls. They were all good customers of hers. "What are you all doing here so early?"

One of the girls turned to Caterina, and suddenly Caterina saw that she had been crying. "It's Maria," the girl said, "she's gone, Caterina. She was killed, last night, by the Cardinal."

"What?" This was not supposed to happen. Caterina had been expecting Maria to come to the shop that night, as she always did the night after she slept with a new man. She had expected gossip, scandal maybe, but not murder. "How do you know it was him?"

"She was found in his bed!" The girl spoke in hushed tones, as if all of Rome would not know the news by the end of the hour. "Maria was found, undressed, in the Cardinal's bed, her throat slashed."

_Damn that assassin!_ Inside her mind, Caterina cursed and seethed. Outwardly, she kept her face appropriately shocked and saddened. "I am so sorry," she said to the crying girl.

* * *

><p>Michelotto walked like a grey tabby in the dark. He was silent as he approached the apothecary entrance, only allowing himself to be heard when the bell on the door announced his arrival.<p>

No sooner had the bell sounded than he heard the quick footsteps of the owner. "I'll be right with you," she called, before entering the front room with a smile. "_Buonasera_," Caterina chimed, "What can I do for you this—"

Suddenly she stopped. For a moment, Michelotto wondered if perhaps he had forgotten to clean some of the blood from his clothing or skin. Then the woman planted her hands firmly on her hips, gave him a glare with her amber eyes that he suspected could have made even the most hardened and heavily armed of soldiers feel defenseless, and said, sternly, "Well, I hope you accomplished your goal, Michelotto Corella, because last night you killed one of my best customers."


	4. Chapter 4

**Suspense and action! Please read, review, and enjoy.**

Michelotto had his dagger's point at her throat before the last word had fully escaped her mouth. If Caterina was frightened, however, her face only betrayed it for a second. "I really would not advise you to do that," she said, her hand slowly moving to the bodice of her dress. She reached inside and pulled out a small glass vial stopped with wax. Inside the vial Michelotto could see a finely ground powder. Caterina looked directly into his eyes and continued, "I so much as twitch my fingers and this bottle crashes to the ground. The powder in here is so fine that you will inhale it before you can so much as take one step. And if you inhale it, you will die." Her amber eyes flared. "You know full well just how effective my poisons are. Do you really want to volunteer to test them on yourself?"

The two stood locked in their positions for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Michelotto raised his dagger off of her neck and sheathed it. Caterina sighed and slipped the vial back into her bodice. "And don't even think about attacking me now," she said, "you really don't want to know what would happen to you if anything I'm carrying should break." She looked back at him. "Look, I really don't mind so much what it is that you do for a living. It's just that there are very few ways that I can practice a legitimate business, and it really does not serve me well to have one of my better clients killed."

"I was simply doing my job," Michelotto said, "It wasn't my intention to inconvenience you."

"It was only your intention to kill me just now," Caterina scoffed and shook her head. "It is not the first time my life has been threatened. Though, to be honest, this is the first time I have ever had a dagger held to my throat." She smiled. "But that is not what you first came here for, is it? What business do you have with me?"

Michelotto shrugged. "I was looking for a potion, though to be honest I am now wondering if I should look elsewhere."

"I hold no grudge against you. You were only reacting to a threat." Caterina walked briskly to the back of the shop. "Can I offer you some tea? I have a really spectacular brew." Returning to the front room she laughed and added, "Don't worry, it isn't poisoned. I try to make a habit of not killing my customers." Her look softened. "Besides," she said, "this should help dull the pain. It's apple blossom, willow bark, and cinnamon." Seeing the look on his face, she laughed. "I saw the way you walked in, sir. I pride myself on knowing my customers' needs." When he didn't take the tea, she sighed. "Fine, then, I'll drink it myself."

She took a sip of the tea and then offered the rest to Michelotto. "I'm not dead," she said, "Please, take it." Michelotto did and tried a small sip of the drink himself. It was surprisingly good. Subtle, but with a nice amount of spice from the cinnamon.

Caterina sighed and shook her head. "But, I think we never properly introduced ourselves." She curtsied. "Caterina Adimari, apothecary."

"Michelotto, but you already knew my name."

"Maria did say a lot about you."

"I can see that."

They stood in silence for a moment. Then, Michelotto added. "The powder you gave me that night was very effective."

Caterina smiled. "I'm glad you were satisfied. I worked very hard to perfect that formula." She looked up at him. "I can sell you some of that tea, if you want. It should dull whatever pain you have. I'll even give it to you at a discount."

Michelotto raised his eyebrows. "A discount?"

"I would hate for you to think ill of me," Caterina said, "And hopefully I can persuade you to do your business here again."

Michelotto drained his glass and put it on the table. "But we were talking terms," he said, his eyes locked with hers.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, as Caterina prepared to sleep, she could not help but wonder just what had possessed her to be so brazenly foolish that night.<p>

Michelotto was an assassin. A damn good assassin. Fastest she had ever seen. And she had broken her ultimate rule: never ask questions of an assassin. She knew full well the dangers of selling to them, and she had, in the course of this evening, broken so many of her rules that she was amazed she had survived the night.

Never confront an assassin. Never threaten an assassin. Never question what an assassin does.

And _never_ offer a discount.

She grimaced. Honestly, wasn't that part of the reason she catered to assassins? They would pay the top price for her product. To offer discounts made her product seem cheap, and made her seem desperate. And while she could use all the business she could get, it did not help her to survive if she sold products for less than it cost her to make them.

She had just been trying to get out of the situation alive. That was all. She had made a mistake in confronting him, and was just doing whatever it took to survive.

Of course that was it.

And, only slightly flustered from the evening's events, Caterina blew out the candle beside her and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Michelotto too reflected on the events of the previous hours.<p>

Why had he not killed her? There were ways to do it. A dagger to the throat, then catch her before she falls. Lay her down on the bed. Nothing breaks, he emerges alive.

She did make good poisons, but it was not as though he poisoned his targets often. He preferred the dagger and sword, and, whenever possible, the garrote. The wire was always hidden loosely in his sleeve. He let it slip into his hand now as he walked. He had purchased more of that tea than he had needed, too. Why in God's name had he done that?

She could be useful. A woman with an ear that close to the ground who could also provide the best poisons and potions money could buy was a useful source of more than just nightshade. She could provide information. Maybe she would hear news of Della Rovere. After all, if she had known that girl Maria, chances were she knew the Cardinal's other servants as well. She also knew other assassins, and could easily provide useful additions to his own network of willing cutthroats.

Caterina Adimari was simply more useful to him alive than dead.

That was all.

And, content with this answer, Michelotto Corella disappeared into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5! A little something for a sadly Borgia-free weekend. Please read and review.**

Caterina was not sure that her relationship with Michelotto could be accurately described as a friendship. In fact, Caterina was not sure that her relationship with Michelotto could be accurately described with any particular word or phrase.

The relationship Caterina had with Michelotto was the sort that could only be formed between assassins: a relationship founded on a mutual understanding of a shared interest or need, combined with the knowledge that either one could, and perhaps should, kill the other at any moment, were it not for the fact that to do so would result in the death of both.

Caterina had the strong suspicion that even the fastest of her poisons would give Michelotto ample time to reach her throat with either a dagger or garrote, and she knew that she would be powerless against him in a physical fight.

Similarly, Michelotto knew that attempting to kill Caterina would be unwise, as she had made abundantly clear that he had no way of knowing exactly what poisons she was carrying in fragile containers on her person, and that, if attacked, she would use every ounce of her strength to release whatever poisonous powders and vapors into the air were at her disposal, so that at the very least her attacker would die with her. Besides, she had reminded him, only she knew where the antidotes were. He would have no chance of surviving one of her poisons without her.

So they maintained a fragile acquaintance, conveyed to each other in nods and purchases, in whispers through side alleys at night. Soon Michelotto came to respect Caterina as a reliable source of information, and Caterina came to value Michelotto as a loyal and well-paying customer.

* * *

><p>A few months after the night of their confrontation, Michelotto spied Caterina on one of her weekly shopping excursions. He somewhat enjoyed watching her shop, if only because she was a truly ferocious bargainer. It was always satisfying to see the mild expressions of terror on the faces of the shopkeepers she visited, contrasted with her steady, steely smile that seemed to extend to her amber eyes. She could counter any pitch or selling point with fact, and did so without mercy or hesitation.<p>

Today, however, she did seem nervous. He allowed himself to be seen, and, sure enough, she noticed him and smiled. She walked towards him, her shopping basket almost overflowing with purchases. "_Buongiorno,_ Michelotto," she beamed, "how have you been?" She then lowered her voice and whispered, "If it is not too much trouble, could you please come by the shop tonight? I have a small favor I would like to ask of you."

"A favor?" Michelotto smiled inwardly. This was unusual for the information he had gathered, Caterina was not the type to ask for help from anyone.

"Yes," she nodded, "come to the shop later. I'll explain everything to you then." She took his hand in hers. Michelotto felt the combined cold kiss of gold and roughness of parchment pass from her palm to his as she smiled, nodded, and continued her shopping, leaving him to ponder her request. It was unusual, but so long as Cesare did not require his services, he saw no reason why he could not indulge his curiosity. This woman was interesting, and a valuable source of information. Strengthening ties with her could only be to his advantage. And the information he could gather from her could also prove useful to Cesare Borgia, and his endeavors to strengthen his father's power and protect his family.

Under the silken cover of night Michelotto padded, cat-like, to Caterina's shop. He arrived just before midnight, as her note had requested, and let himself in through the front door. He found Caterina setting up some glasses of tea on the table in the front of the shop. She was so absorbed in her work that she did not notice his approach until the bell on her front door signaled his arrival. _Too slow,_ Michelotto thought, _if my intentions were different, she would be dead by now_. Caterina smiled and walked to greet him. "Michelotto," she chimed, "it is so wonderful to see you again." As suddenly as she had requested his assistance in the market that morning, the cheerful hospitality faded from her amber eyes, her face hardened into a frown, and her tone became serious. "I need your help, Michelotto. I have a client coming tonight to pick up a product of a rather…delicate nature. He is the overseer of a certain Cardinal Versucci's servants, and, like the good Cardinal, his opinion of women is not of the greatest respect."

Michelotto began to pace the shop, slowly, deliberately. If Caterina Adimari was selling poison to Cardinal Versucci, or any of his servants, for that matter, Cesare would most certainly want to know about it. "Most of these Cardinals can prove rather fickle, especially in such matters as this. And your concern about this particular Cardinal's opinion of your sex is unremarkable. Most of these Cardinals feel the same way."

"Versucci has a poor opinion of my sex, but this particular servant of his has been known to act upon those opinions in ways that the Cardinal does not."

Michelotto paused. "And what do you mean by that?"

Caterina sighed. "What I mean is that this servant is known by many of the women who work for these Cardinals as being willing to do more than persuade a woman to service him. I have no interest in bedding the scoundrel, and while I could easily poison him if he tried, Cardinal Versucci has both means and power that would prove advantageous to me should I secure him as a reliable client." She scowled. "And, I'm not selling him poison. The good Cardinal is not as…vigorous as he would want to be."

This was intriguing. "So the potion…?"

"A powder, actually, to enhance potency." Caterina scoffed. "It is rather scandalous, really."

"Indeed," Michelotto made his way back towards her. "And what do you require my services for?"

"I do not think that this servant will attempt anything in my own shop, but if you could position yourself in the back room just in case, I would feel much safer conducting this business. Of course, I would compensate you for your trouble."

Michelotto did not respond right away. On the one hand, he was not working for this woman, and he did not want her to become a liability for him. On the other hand, furthering his relationship with her could prove useful, both for purposes of information and for poisonings. He looked at her again and spoke. "When did you say this man was arriving?"

"He ought to be approaching the shop as we speak." Caterina coyly smirked and began gently pushing him towards the back of the shop. Michelotto almost laughed. The woman had planned this out perfectly. He could not leave now without being seen by the Cardinal's servant. The only choice was to stay in the back room of the shop until the servant left. While he was there, he might as well make sure that this meeting between her and the servant did not end in the death of either.

Mere moments after Michelotto was safely hidden in the back of the shop, he heard the bell of the front door announce the servant's arrival. He listened at the wall closest to the front of the shop to Caterina's cheerful, business-like greeting. He padded back and forth, along the rows of shelves, behind the floor-length curtains separating the rooms of the shop. It was then that he heard a soft crunching noise from behind him. Silent, he spun, dagger slipping from the concealed pocket on the inside of his right sleeve without so much as a whisper. He could kill without a sound, and was ready to dispatch of whatever trap the woman might have set.

But, instead of a trap or attacker, Michelotto saw a rabbit.

Michelotto sheathed his dagger, letting it slide back into his sleeve. "Hello, there," he whispered, stepping towards the cage to get a closer look. The rabbit looked at Michelotto with big, brown eyes, pausing from eating for a moment before returning its attention to its food. Michelotto studied the cage. The rabbit was clearly well cared for. Its cage was nearly spotless. Its coat was shiny and well groomed. Michelotto could also see that Caterina was feeding it the best cuttings of some of her plants.

This woman, who could fearlessly sell poisons to the most dangerous assassins in Italy; this woman, who possessed the audacity to sell potency powders to the Cardinals themselves; this woman was lavishing such doting care on a rabbit?

Michelotto returned to the curtains, listening to Caterina's conversation with the Cardinal's servant.

Caterina spoke first.

"Now, the powder I have prepared should restore your master to his full health. All we need do now is finalize the deal."

"You say this powder will restore the Cardinal's vigor?" This was the servant. Michelotto did not need to see him to know what kind of man he was. His voice was oily, and Michelotto could almost hear the grease dripping from his words.

"Of course," Caterina responded, "this powder will restore him to his full potency."

"Will it make him as vigorous as me?"

"Why, sir, I have no way of knowing your vigor."

"Well, then, we must remedy that, my lady."

Michelotto heard Caterina stand quickly. He let the garrote in his sleeve slide into his hand. If Caterina was not careful he would soon have use for it.

He heard someone's breath stiffen. The man was wincing, as if in pain. Strange, Caterina had not laid so much as a hand on the servant. Michelotto would have heard it if she had.

"Oh, dear, are you not feeling well, sir?" Caterina was almost purring, her voice a rich brocade. "Hold on just a moment, sir, I have a brew that will fix you right up."

Michelotto stepped back as he heard Caterina advance toward the curtain. "I'll only be a moment," she chimed, before stepping into the back room and closing the curtain behind her. She turned to Michelotto with a grimace and whispered, "Please convince me why I should not poison this man here and now."

"Haven't you already?"

Caterina shook her head. "Anemone isn't poisonous. It just isn't very wise to ingest it. A cleverer man would not drink so much of his tea."

Michelotto almost smiled. This woman was very interesting indeed. "Cardinal Versucci is a useful client," he whispered, "he has great means at his disposal, and both he and his servants could provide you with many future clients."

Caterina rubbed her temples. "Yes," she said, "you are exactly right." She walked to a kettle she had placed over a flame and quickly poured a glass, which she took with her when she returned to the front of the shop. Her voice was light as silk once more. "Here you are," she said to the servant, "this should cure whatever ails you."

* * *

><p>Once the deal had been completed and the servant had departed into the night, Caterina quickly sorted out a small fraction of the gold she had just received. This she gave to Michelotto, "For your aid", she had said, before he himself slipped into the shadows of the streets outside.<p>

For a while Michelotto chose to follow the servant. Information was information, after all, and he knew that Cardinal Versucci could be a useful resource for Cesare Borgia. The servant was certainly not discrete, taking the open roads and whistling to himself. Michelotto suspected that the man would venture to one of the whorehouses after he had made his delivery to the Cardinal.

But the man was stupider than Michelotto had suspected, for he did not even get halfway to Versucci's palace before he entered one of those castles of lust. The man was almost as bad as Cesare's brother, Juan. They may even have frequented the same establishments.

Michelotto took one of the coins he had just received and walked towards a woman he knew to be a prostitute. "I'm looking for a name." He let the gold flash in his hand, attracting the woman's attention. "He just entered the premises."

"Oh, him?" The woman smiled, lips closed. "That's Stefano Bossi. He is quite the regular customer of ours." She moved closer to Michelotto, hips forward. "And what about you, my dear? Would you like to stay the night?"

Michelotto played along long enough to bring the woman into an alley, before silencing her with a dagger's kiss to her throat. As he threw her body into the Tiber, he reflected on the night's events. Stefano Bossi was certainly no threat to Cesare Borgia, and Versucci had already been bribed with Borgia gold to act in the Pope's best interests. Still, he might as well keep tabs on this man. Information, after all, could always be useful in one way or another.


End file.
